Social media marketing is not just a tool but a key driver for the experience economy. Why? Because it shapes how brands connect with customers in unexpected ways. Social media is pivotal in guiding consumer decisions through reviews, facilitating real-time interactions, and building a loyal community.
Starbucks and Disney don’t just sell coffee or theme park rides; they offer memorable experiences amplified through social media. Learn how social media transforms the experience economy and why businesses can’t afford to ignore it. Your brand’s future might depend on it.
What Is the Experience Economy?
You might be wondering, ‘What exactly is the experience economy?’
Simply put, it’s an economy where consumers seek memorable experiences rather than just being sold products or services. Consumers crave memorable interactions rather than just products or services. It’s not just about selling an item but creating a unique journey for the consumer. In the experience economy, businesses prioritise creating distinctive and often personal interactions, ensuring they leave a lasting impression.
Think about it: a Starbucks visit is not just about coffee. It’s about the atmosphere, the friendly staff asking if you want your usual, and the cosy seating where you can work or chat. This places a premium on how customers feel during shared moments with a brand.
Other brands like Disney take it further. Visitors do not just enjoy rides; they immerse themselves in a world of stories and characters and create memories with family and friends. These examples highlight how companies invest in environments and scenarios that leave lasting impressions and emotional connections.
Social Media Influence on Consumer Behaviour
Now we’ve established what the experience economy looks like, let’s explore why and how social media influences consumer behaviour.
Social Impact on Purchase Decisions
Reviews and Recommendations
Social media has transformed how people decide what to buy. According to a study conducted by Wyzowl, 44% of people prefer to learn about a product or service by watching a short video.
Platforms like Instagram and TikTok allow users to share their opinions easily. This advice is often trusted more than traditional ads. In fact, 84% of consumers trust recommendations from peers more than any other form of advertising. The importance of these peer reviews cannot be understated in the modern buying process. With 54% of users actively researching products on social media, the weight of these opinions is huge.
Instant Feedback Loop
Real-time Engagement and Responses
Social media allows brands to interact instantly with their audience. Consumers expect fast replies. Statistics indicate that 69% of consumers prefer brands to reply within 24 hours, while 16% expect a response within minutes—talk about high expectations!
This creates an expectation of quick service and attentiveness. Brands that effectively manage this communication build stronger relationships and trust with their audience. This instant feedback loop improves customer service and helps brands iterate and enhance their offerings in real-time.
Visibility and Discovery
Hashtags and Social Trends Guiding Buying Patterns
Hashtags and trends are tools for visibility. They help users discover brands and products aligned with their interests. Brands that creatively latch onto trends can find themselves in the spotlight – this trend may not necessarily be directly related to your brand, but you can adapt it to fit!
Expanding Reach and Authenticity Through Influencers
Influencers have become pivotal in getting new products or services seen on social media over the past decade. They have established trust with their followers, making recommendations powerful. According to Hubspot, 1 in 4 Gen Z prefer to find out about products from influencers.
Influencers act as both marketers and curators, allowing brands to reach new audiences and demographics. This creates opportunities for brands to innovate in how they introduce products or services and capture market interest.
Jet2 frequently collaborates with influencers like Nathan and Cara (@the_dela_mass_family) and content creators like Seema Pankhania ( @seemagetsbaked) to showcase authentic holiday experiences. By partnering with The Massey family, Jet2 highlights the authentic family holiday experience. At the same time, collaborations with food creator Seema Pankhania allow followers to explore the local culture and cuisine of various destinations. These partnerships help Jet2 connect with different audiences, expanding their reach and offering diverse perspectives on what a Jet2 Holiday offers.
Role of Social Media in Building Brand Experiences
Creating Engaging Content
Social media is key for marketing because it allows brands to create content that engages users in new ways. Interactive posts, like polls, quizzes, or live sessions, let companies actively connect with their audiences. This form of engagement is not purely about pushing products but about making a conversation – the hard sell doesn’t necessarily work on social media.
Incorporating storytelling is another potent approach. Videos, carousels and testimonials allow brands to share narratives that resonate with their audience. This engagement creates a deeper connection, making the brand part of the customer’s life story rather than just a service provider. It’s part of the ongoing shift from transactional marketing to relational marketing.
Building Communities
The success of many brands today lies in their ability to create a sense of community on their platforms. These spaces allow consumers to share ideas and interests related to the brand. Take TikTok and Instagram, for example—their influence thrives on building communities, maintaining consistent dialogue with followers, and being authentic and relatable.
By engaging directly with their audience, brands cultivate trust and loyalty. When people feel part of a community, they naturally become advocates without prompting, driving organic growth and strengthening the brand’s reputation.
User-Generated Content
User-generated content (UGC) has become the foundation for building authentic brand experiences. When customers share their experiences with a brand, it heightens the brand’s credibility. Potential customers see this content as more trustworthy because it is perceived as unbiased.
Encouraging UGC involves creating incentives for customers to post about your brand. This could be through contests or featuring customer content on your official channels.
Using UGC in your content strategy is an effective way to build engagement and loyalty, as consumers feel they have a stake in the brand. Look at brands like GoPro, which has built a community around shared user content, creating endless publicity from real experiences.
How Does Social Media-Driven Customer Experiences Work?
Step-by-Step Approach to Social Media Marketing
1. Setting Clear Objectives for Branding and Engagement
The foundation of an excellent social media strategy is knowing what you want to achieve. This involves defining clear objectives around areas like brand awareness, customer engagement, or sales growth. Each goal should be specific and measurable. For example, focusing on metrics such as reach and impressions can be beneficial if the aim is to boost brand awareness. Successful brands align their strategies with their business goals to ensure synergy. An in-depth understanding of your target audience plays a vital role. Use data analytics to craft a customer persona that guides your content direction.
2. Selecting the Right Platforms for the Demographic
Once objectives are in place, choosing the right platforms is essential. You don’t need to be on every social media channel—just the ones that align with your brand and audience. Each platform has a unique audience and set of features. Instagram and TikTok primarily cater to a younger demographic, though older audiences are increasingly joining TikTok, while LinkedIn serves professionals. Knowing which platforms your target audience frequents can significantly enhance the success of your campaigns.
3. Develop a Content Calendar
A content calendar is a great way to schedule and organise social media posts. By planning ahead, you can keep your audience engaged with consistent content. Plus, you can strategically time posts around holidays or significant industry events for extra visibility. Tools like Hootsuite or Agorapulse make it easy to schedule everything. But leave some wiggle room for those trending topics—staying flexible is good! This is your foundation for a steady and organised social presence.
4. Pay Attention to Analytics
Using analytics tools is vital to understanding how well your social media campaigns are performing. By tracking things like likes, shares, comments, and click-through rates, you’ll get a clear idea of what’s working and what’s not. The data you gather helps shape your future strategies, from tweaking your content to posting at the best times. Staying on top of your analytics means making smarter, data-driven decisions, pivoting when necessary, and ensuring you get the best results.
5. Community management
Community management goes beyond just sharing posts—it’s about building relationships and creating a sense of belonging. This can be a powerful growth driver in the travel industry, where experiences are everything. Today’s travellers don’t just book trips without research—they want to see what kind of experience they’ll actually have. Social media is the perfect way to showcase those experiences in creative and interactive ways.
In the experience economy, people value personal connections and memorable moments. By managing an engaged community, travel brands can offer more than just trips—they provide shared, emotional experiences. Responding to comments, answering questions, and showcasing user-generated content can turn casual followers into loyal brand advocates.
A well-managed community boosts your brand’s visibility and creates long-term customer relationships. When people feel part of a community, they come back for more. Just look at brands like TUI, constantly engaging with their audience on platforms like Instagram, replying to comments and building those personal connections.
If you’re a travel brand, download our free E-book: Social Media Trends for Travel Businesses in 2025
Ready to Transform Your Brand?
When done right, social media makes your brand unforgettable. It allows you to build real-time connections, highlight authentic experiences, and build a community that loves what you do. And let’s be honest, businesses that aren’t tapping into these opportunities are missing out on something huge. Social media is where experiences come to life, and your brand has the power to stand out, not just for what you sell, but for how you make people feel.
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